Gearing up!

Christmas is coming down today. Getting this house cleaned and ready for 2015. Getting my shopping list hammered out because my weight loss challenge starts on January 14th!  To prep for it I am going to really look at how to bring clean eating and natural things into my life...would you like to know what I am going to be purging and incorporating?
If you don't then STOP reading HERE---->    (*:*)

Ok.... here goes... keep me accountable won't you?  I will Blog my journey this month so stay tuned for that as well!!

1) Clean eating... getting rid of preservatives and additives of the chemical kind... shop the outer rows of the grocery store and farmers market as much as possible.

2) Clean Clutter... get rid of things that don't matter in the big scheme or have no sentimental value... simple beauty is what I am trying to achieve. ... this will be extremely hard for me...harder than weight loss believe it or not!

3) Clean Closet.... getting rid of clothes that don't fit (which is lots) or those I haven't worn in years, then creating a color palette to re invent my clothes/style/look

4) Clean Heart..... getting rid of my critical/judging spirit by loving more, forgiving more, praying more, trusting Jesus more

5) Clean Mind..... get rid of fears and doubts and negative self talk and less TV .... love myself.. laugh more... read more.....

6) Clean body.... get rid of unwanted fat, tone and trim, strengthen my muscles and lungs and legs.. I will do this by moving more, hydrating more, eating clean and incorporating some essential oils to help me along the weight loss journey.  See below if you want to see which ones I will use!
I'm excited!!

Clean.... simple.... honest... loving... truthful....  Join me ! 

Love...... wedded bliss!

Oh boy... back to the blogstone!

Today I have been married 31 years!.... to the same guy! Yay! It's so hard to put into words the love I have for this man, my hunka, hunka, burnin love. I loved him 35 years ago and said "I Do" 31 years ago but that was a new, young wonder love. Now it's a deep, mature, I can't live without you, you really do complete me kind of love.  The kind that is forged in fire and caressed in love. Polished with tears and buffed with romance. The sometimes sat on a shelf and got dusty kind of love but then taken down, cleaned and reused and rekindled. The love that grounded us in challenging parenting roles and almost crumbled thru crazy trials and stressful times. The kind that made me honestly think I would be a widow and wrenched my heart kind of love....twice! (FYI... not a fun place to be) BUT thru all the ups and downs and sideways places we have been through, our Now kind of love is my favorite. I thank Jesus everyday that he picked me to be this mans wife...no other woman could've handled him.... lol... just kidding!! I am honored because he is loyal and fun and honest and funny and responsible and humble and most of all he loves Jesus and me!  I am a blessed silly girl and I know it!  So CHEERS to 35 more years with him!

Happy Birthday Jesus!

On the 25th Day of December my daughter gave to me...... ( my gifts to Jesus)

ME!  .........silly girl, wife, mommy, mother-in-love, daughter, sister, friend, sinner, lover of Jesus, child of God!

As we get ready to welcome family into our home and sit and open presents, I look at the wrapped gifts. Some are so pretty with perfect bows and glistening paper and some are fancy gift bags with tons of tissue paper billowing out the top and others are more simple and plain with a name written on the tag or the ones in a trash bag with a bow (because they're too big for a gift bag or paper or a man wrapped it...lol) In the end it doesn't really matter what the wrapping looks like, because the gift inside is what matters. Sometimes I feel like the fancy wrapped gift and other times I feel like the trash bag. But inside, my heart is what Jesus wants and loves.

Happy Birthday Baby Jesus....thank you for being so awesome and not being picky about my wrapping paper!

(manger in the barn next to the Inn of Pinterest)

Merry Christmas to you and your Kin

The 24th day of December my daughter gave to me...... (my gifts to Jesus)

My Family.......  my handsome hunka hunka burnin love, my precious sonshines, my gorgeous daughter in love,  fun and loyal four legged fur babies....

I am a blessed silly girl...I truly don't deserve the wonderful people God has given me but I accept them with heartfelt gratitude. I hope I have handled them well and treat them with His grace and love. I know that sometimes when I look at them I well up with emotion, my heart filling up with so much love and pride that I think I might burst. (sometimes I do burst and it oozes out thru my fingertips and onto your screen!)  But Today I give them to Jesus for I know He will continue to bless them and keep them in the palm of His hands. That He will guide them thru life with it's ups and downs so that they may grow and learn to lean on Him and love Him more deeply.

This Christmas Eve may you feel the deep love and pride and grace that God has for you as you celebrate the birth of Sweet Baby Jesus.  He really does love me....and He really loves you too!

Merry Christmas....... may you have Joy and Laughter and oodles of Blessings in the coming year!

from my almost Mayberry little family to yours................. barra     oxoxoxoxoxo

BONUS POST! Bath Salts

Ok my peeps.... I was busy this morning making some bath Salts for gifts to people I love.

Here's a celly pic of them ...

Nighty Nite

bath salts

Epsom salt,

Baking Soda, Sea salt

Lavender, Valor,

Vetiver,  Cedarwood

 Feel Better

bath salts

Epsom salt,

Baking Soda, Sea salt

Lavender, Thieves, Raven, Peppermint

I use only Young Living Oils as they are the only ones I trust completely.  Stay tuned for more recipes and info throughout the year on my oily journey!! 

No time like the present....

On the 23rd day of December my daughter gave to me........ (my gifts to Jesus)

My focus.... scatterbrained, ADD head, easily distracted, never finish my projects, there's got to be an oil for this!

So as I sit down to write this blog post today I have a million things that need to be done yet..(don't we all on Dec 23rd?  please say yes!) I have started on 999,998 things and have only finished 2 so far. Ugh!  I am so scatterbrained and ADD ( no offense but I truly believe that had ADD/ADHD been a diagnose-able issue in the mid '70's I could've been a poster child!) Ok that being said I made a decision to get my mind together and get stuff done in an orderly fashion today so as not to be in Tazmanian devil mode tomorrow. Well........I did get 2 things done so far and it's only 2 pm.  There is hope for me yet! I find that this rings true in all areas of my life even the times I try to spend with Jesus. I am so easily distracted. Like an ostrich and shiny things. I have figured out tho that my best times to talk to Jesus is in the car with the radio turned off... can't get distracted by too much in there. But I'm not in my car everyday. We need to find what works for each of us in bringing our focus back to Jesus. Our nation needs to figure that out... our schools need to figure that out... our families need to figure that out.... but it starts with me and you and each individual. Bring the focus back to Jesus and love and grace. Bring the focus back to the present... what can I do to focus on those things this minute or this hour or this day because if I don't then....squirrel!

(a beautiful mantle sign that brings me back into focus in the living room of pinterest)

Seriously tho, how could this cute little Flickr squirrel not distract you? 

PS. about an oil for my scatterbrainedness.. actually, there is one... it's a young living oil called Vetiver...seems to be helping today... it's a little stinky tho..  but hey! If it works, right? 

Short but sweet.....

On the 22nd day of December, my daughter gave to me......(my gifts to Jesus)

My baking skills....... non existent, I'm no Betty Crocker, not much of a sweet tooth,

It is no secret that I do not bake. I do not have the skills required to do so. That is the skill of following directions. You have to follow a recipe to bake or it doesn't come out right,  right?  I can cook you under the table but will lose the baking contest every.single.time. I love cookbooks and will peruse them (or pinterest) all the time but rarely will you see me use it to actually cook a meal. I use them as "guidelines". You know, now that I think about it I'm not that way in real life. Or am I ?hmmmm....weird. I am a crazy, cuckoo, rule follower. I color inside the lines and freak out if I break a rule. But only in certain areas... like traffic laws or no trespassing signs.. other areas? Not so much. I have blue in my hair and ink on my skin and I am an old lady..perhaps too old for such shenanigans. Perhaps in cooking and other personal things, since they are not a life or death or incarceratible offenses (is that even a word?..ok I looked it up, it's incarcerable... I like mine better) anywho... since I can't go to jail for making bad cookies or meatloaf or having blue in my hair, I choose not to even follow the "rules'.  Haha..I'm such a rebel!  Well there is only one rule to follow when it comes to Jesus and that is to love Him with all my heart, mind, soul and strength. You know what? That is the easiest recipe ever! So while I attempt to bake some sort of Christmas confection and have it turn out edible I will remember that some rules are meant to follow or they won't turn out right. I have turned out right! Have you?

(cookie for Santa in the pinterest household)

Fear not...for I am with YOU!

On the 21st day of December my daughter gave to me..... (my gifts to Jesus)

My Fears........ crazy emotions welling up inside me, feelings of dread, being out of control, incapacitating, overwhelming, always in the back of my mind....

I know I touched on this 2 days ago but with certain circumstances coming up in the news, my fears are in overdrive.  I cried most of yesterday evening.... my heart gripped in incapacitating fear and overwhelmed with sympathy. The craziness of the society we now live in is unfathomable to me and yet I'm forced to live in the middle of it. It makes me angry. It overwhelms me. To be honest, it takes the air out of the room and it becomes hard for me to find the joy in anything. I can't let it do that .... I have to again, give it to Jesus. He knows my heart and how it so wants to live in Mayberry. He also know what I can deal with and grow from... knowing it will be rough for me but also knowing that I can handle it IF I ask Him to help me. So without further ado I will resume Christmas... I will let the fear die down into the depths of my being.... for it will never be squelched forever ....well maybe not until I do arrive in Heavenly Mayberry. People still need hope and joy and love and by golly I'm gonna try to spread that around instead of my fears allowing me to lock myself in my room. So.. here I go on wobbly legs..... smiling thru my fears!

(peaceful, beautiful barns that calm my soul found on Pinterest ranch)

Childish things....

On the 20th day of December my daughter gave to me...... (my gifts to Jesus)

the Magic of Christmas......... Santa, Elves, Christmas Trees, wrapping paper,jingle bells, Christmas Carols, mistletoe and of course the best one, Baby Jesus!

I am a child at heart. I am pretty easy to please with silly things. I love all the fun little things, the magical things that Christmas brings. I know..... some of you pass up the ideas of Santa and Christmas tress and such and that's ok for you .... but I love all of it. I'm not going to get all scientific or historical on you about the various traditions and how they came about. I just want to tell you how much I love them ...all!
For me, Santa embodies the jolly part of the season..His whole "get-up" just makes you smile doesn't it? Like a fun old Grandpa who takes the time to listen to your wants of toys and presents then quietly, while you are sleeping, delivers them.  The Elves? well they are Santa's helpers and bring the world of fantasy (ok Santa does too) and mischief to the season. What's not to love?  They also make sure we behave so Santa gets a good report so we make the nice list.  Some genius parent thought that one up and by golly it has worked, hasn't it mom's and dad's out there with little ones? Wrapping paper, Carols and jingle bells just add prettiness and music to our lives that bring happiness. Christmas Carols are enjoyed by all ages and music genres... it's unifying throughout the generations of a family. Mistletoe....well, who doesn't want to be kissed.  Does this take away from the "Reason for the Season", a cliche at best? In my ever so humble opinion I say nope.. not for me anyway.  By embracing the "secular" side of Christmas in no way diminishes my celebration for Jesus birth..in fact it makes it even more intense. Of course Baby Jesus is the reason for the season but he is the Reason for Everyday, every moment, every breath I breathe and I celebrate it daily. Don't you? So today I give Jesus my love and affection for the season of Christmas with all that it brings.... people loving on others, donating to those less fortunate, feeding the hungry, looking at Christmas lights with friends and family, buying for friends and family and opening presents selected just for you, watching for the impish elves to show up on shelves and listening on Christmas Eve for the sounds of Reindeer hooves on the roof, sitting in the quiet of the night with only the Christmas tree lights on and contemplating life and what Jesus has done for me. Knowing all the while that without Him coming to earth as a teeny tiny baby to save us none of this would matter because there wouldn't be any Christmas season to celebrate! So there you have it.... a silly girl who loves Jesus and delights in the sights and sounds of Christmas..... Take it or leave it...Fa la la la la la laaaaaaa!!!

(Santa walking his reindeer one Christmas in California on Pinterest beach)

Sheepdog Up this Christmas

On the 19th day of December my daughter gave to me...........(my gifts to Jesus)

My Sheepdog.......... my soul mate, my hunka hunka burnin love, your resident deputy, the protector of the sheep, the thin blue line between order and chaos...

Today is Wear Blue to support Law Enforcement day and not only did I wear blue but I dyed my hair with a thin blue line. I figured I'd show my appreciation and support everyday. You will never know my heart for this man unless you have loved a deputy or police officer. The slightest sound of a siren or a story on the news get's me going every time.. My heart is always on edge when he is working. Listening to radio traffic, when a horrific incident he was smack dab in the middle of, just hoping to hear his voice to know he was ok. My heart is always on edge. With all the hate lately against law enforcement it really scares me. Of course , as in every field, there are some bad apples but come on people don't you realize the things the Sheepdogs do for you. They don't know you but they will respond in your time of need. They don't know you but will put themselves in harms way to protect your child. They don't know you but they work way past shift's end to finish up a report for you all the while their family waits for them at home. They are trained to react to the world of chaos and have to make a life or death decision in a split second. My sheepdog came home the other day and said he hesitated to react on a call of what to do because of all the media flack from recent news. People, that scares me...he hesitated.. his mind was thinking of media and news and hate instead of at the crisis at hand. That is not okay. BUT! Jesus knows this and I know He is watching over my Sheepdog while he protects the sheep from the wolves. I know no matter what the outcome of a day brings I know Jesus has him in the palm of his hand and He has me there too. So today I will let down my guard..I will rest in the knowledge of God's perfect plan .... because I want to...because I need to. 

 (old English sheepdog, the protector of the sheep and Christmas trees, singing a pinterest carol)

(me sporting my thin blue line hair! )

Yakkity Yak...don't talk back!

On the 18th day of December my daughter gave to me..... (my gifts to Jesus)

My communication......... talking, writing, typing, body language, facial expressions, yelling screaming, laughing...

I am a communicator..... well actually, I just talk too much!  I interrupt people..it's a horrible habit and I am working on it. I tend to be thinking too fast and jump in with my thoughts before I am supposed to. (If you have experienced this when with me, I am so very sorry...I was not intending to be rude) But I do love listening to people and talking and typing to communicate my thoughts. I have decided to write down more with pen and paper...or perhaps with fingers on a keyboard, to communicate my thoughts to Jesus and to all of you. It's my way of sharing His love and why I am who I am... Just like God made me to be. I will give Him more prayer and talk time because I need Him and He deserves my time. I will also communicate to people why I appreciate them and love them more than I have. I appreciate you...yes, you.  Don't look over your shoulder like I'm talking to someone else in the room..YOU! I appreciate you! Whether I have known you for years or days or haven't met you face to face yet, I appreciate you taking your time to read my feeble words and getting to know me. I am pretty gosh darn transparent and that makes me pretty vulnerable. It's kind of scary putting all my feelings and thoughts out there, but basically I have always been a "what you see is what you get" kind of girl. So thank you for wanting to get to know the real me! Communication can build up or tear down.... I'm going to try my darndest to build up!  I am going to stop....try to stop..... interrupting.. my next thought is not as important as YOU are!! How are you going to change your communication skills?

(cute little one mailing a card to Santa at the Pinterest mailbox)

If you're Happy and you know it.....

On the 17th day of December  my daughter gave to me.... (my gifts to Jesus)

My wit....... sense of humor, funny bone, laughing til I cry, the best medicine, 

I love to laugh. It hasn't always been that way. I went thru a bout of depression related to my PTSD from the 1992 6.9 earthquake that epicentered under our house. Those were not fun days.... not at all. Living rural and not wanting to go on long trips to a "shrink" I asked Jesus to help me get thru it and He did. (this is not to say that no one needs a Dr. I just wasn't so sick that I was able to work it out on my own) But here is what I did. I started on a JOY journey. I wrote down 3 things every night before bed that made me smile. The first few weeks were rough I could find much to be happy or joyful about. I'm breathing, the sun came up, a cup of coffee... those were some of the things that made it to my list. So sad, I know. But lo and behold I started to notice more and more that made me smile. Then I told myself "Self, now that you are able to see the joy, laugh out loud about it". So I started laughing more. Oh my goodness, oh. my.goodness! Of  course at first it was forced but then it flowed naturally. Do I have bad days? Of course I do.... remember my little holiday tantrum I had the other night? But honestly, laughter is great medicine! Joy should be the base line of our health because with it comes healing. I think Jesus laughs alot. I think I give Him reason for any laugh lines He has... I am always doing silly things and perhaps making a fool of myself. Those of you that know me would probably say I laugh alot...I even shout Hooray and Yeehaw alot ...oh! and I even clap my hands in joy!! You should try it sometime! Strap on some antlers and a red nose and go out into the world! 

So today I give Him my sense of humor. My ability to find the Joy in life. That He may help me to enjoy it even more and spread the laughter and Joy in a sometimes dark and scary world. Yippee!! 

(hilarious Rudolf bullie... how can you not smile when you see his pinterest experession!)

Amazing stuff

On the 16th day of December my daughter gave to me....(my gifts to Jesus)

My wonder...... awestruck, can't believe my eyes, questioning the amazingness of it all

Have you ever seen something that just hits you hard in the awesome department? The thing that leaves you amazed at how wonderful it is?  Well I have. In fact I get amazed at so many things. Things that the normal Joe might not think is very amazing.  I'm amazed at the amount of stuff that creeps into my house and scatters itself everywhere while I sleep. Those clutter elves are pretty hard workers and do a really good job. I'm also amazed and how many pairs of socks get eaten by the washer/dryer. It is so hard to comprehend how amazing that is!  Ok, I jest ... I am actually amazed at how blessed I am for having a wonderful husband and awesome boys. I just don't understand how me, a silly girl with so many imperfections, is blessed with so many wonderful things. It really does blow my mind. But how about this.....  God looks down onto the earth He created and sees this silly girl and He sees you too... and He says I need to save them so they can come live with me someday.... what shall I do?   He decides to send His son, Jesus, (now mind you, God has one Son... one!) as a teeny tiny baby that grows up in our imperfect world. Who goes on to tell everyone of God's plan  and how much He loves us. Then he dies on a cross for a silly girl, and you too, just so we can be saved and go live with Him someday. Now that is amazing..... and that is what makes Christmas so special.. It's about the giving of the most amazing gift of all time.  It kind of makes that sweater or fruitcake gift seem so insignificant doesn't it?   I hope you are all filled with God's wonder today!!

(pretty decorations on the pinterest tree ... www.jenniferhayslip.com)

An Apple a Day and an oil or two!

On the 15th of December my Daughter gave to me.... (my gifts to Jesus)

My Health...... Physiological and mental health, feeling good, sickness free, an apple a day

I'm pretty healthy...knock on wood.. I think. However, I am a tad nervous today as it is time for the dreaded yearly physical exam and blood work.... girls , you know what I mean. Ugh.  I'm nervous because I am getting older and "fluffier" and some of my friends are having serious health concerns that make me anxious to find out about my insides. I try to be healthy in my food decisions and I have recently fallen in love with essential oils to help me deal with aging issues like those darn hormones and pain and my "fluffiness". And boy do they work! I know I should move more but if it involves the word exercise, then I am adversely allergic to it! (I'm looking for an oil for that!..lol) All I know is that if I do my part in keeping healthy then the rest is in Jesus hands and if I find out I am sick or diagnosed with a scary disease or ailment then I know that He will carry me thru the process. My heart is so full for my precious friends who are on a scary ride regarding their health or that of their children.... I wish there was something I could do to heal them but alas I am not a healer. Jesus is! But what He chooses to heal might not be our definition of healing. So today I give Him my health. That no matter what condition my body is in I will lean on Him!
oxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  to my girlfriends near and far who are battling for their lives.......♥

(vintage girlfriends hugging on Pinterest)

Ghost of Christmas Past

On the 14th day of December my daughter gave to me....(my gifts to Jesus)

My Christmas Spirit....... the anticipation of everything Christmas, my love for decorating, the sweetness of traditions, the festive atmosphere, the movies & songs, Jesus laying in a manger ....... the Grinch and Ebeneezer Scrooge.

I love Christmas. I always have. From "Pucki", the elf who visited every year in Japan, where I grew up when I was teeny tiny (the original elf on a shelf), to even hanging the dreaded tinsel on the tree. Oh, how I hate tinsel. (probably because when we had tinsel growing up it was real metal and had to be saved and ironed... yes you heard that right...no wonder I hate it, right?) But everything else about Christmas, I love!  Then when I became a mommy we got to start our own traditions with two precious little boys. Oh what fun we had! This year though, something happened. The Grinch and Ebeneezer Scrooge came in the dark of night and stole my Christmas Spirit. They replaced it with apathy and "ehhh". The whole Christmas experience is changing for me. No more little ones to dazzle, tiny house constraints, working on Sundays, schedules to work around... basically an empty nest... it's been empty for awhile but I am feeling it this year like none other before. So here's where it got special for me last night.... Jesus came and sat with me in the light of the half decorated little chubby Christmas tree while I fussed and complained and cried.. (ok, some of that was due to Hormones). I've always known it but it really hit me last night that Christmas isn't about all the fluff of festivities or traditions or decorating. It's about me and Jesus and discovering once again the crazy, amazing love that Jesus has for me. That God, loved ME so much that he sent Jesus to not only die for me but to sit on my sofa with this hot mess of a woman dealing with a Holiday temper tantrum.

(vintage little girl with scrawny Christmas tree found on the streets of Pinterest)

Bonus photo of my little chubby Christmas tree hunted and gathered by 

my hunka hunka burnin love and littlest sonshine in a rain/sleet storm

Jesus Goggles

On the 13th day of December my daughter gave to me....(my gifts to Jesus)

My critical spirit........ judging, comparing to my set of standards, my way or the highway...

I am pretty gosh darn critical. I hate to admit it but honestly, I am. I have this idea in my head of how something/someone should be and anything that diverts from that idea sparks my critical spirit.  Really?!  How bad is that? Like I am the supreme authority on all things. I am NOT.... But I do know who is and I need to put my Jesus goggles on and see things in His perspective.  Most things that get my grumblings going are so petty and have no consequence in eternal things that it is pretty pathetic. The BIG things are another matter and with love I can see them thru Jesus' eyes. But these dumb little stupid things that get my ire up...these have got to be dealt with!  So today I will put my goggles on, the Jesus ones that filter out the petty things, and smile!... and by using the Texan saying many times "Bless their heart" (but actually meaning it) perhaps my critical spirit will subside and grace will take it's place.

(Little decorating Santa pic by milkandhoneyphotography.ca/ )

Oh a hunting we will go....or not

On the 12th day of December my daughter gave to me.... (my gifts to Jesus)

My Best laid plans.... the perfect day, all the little details, arranging schedules, excitement for the day.

I'm a planner... in more ways than one. I like to plan our family's schedules (I am not a control freak....am I?) and I am a wedding planner. So I guess planning flows thru my veins. I am also pretty good at "winging it". However, I am not necessarily fond of winging it. But I find when I wing it, my creative side comes out much more fiercely and it usually ends up better than the original plan. (why is that?) So here I sit looking out my window seeing the slushy, wet, cold rain/snow fall from the sky and know that my plans for today to go hunting...for a Christmas tree... have been dashed. Probably. It's kinda that way with life too... my best laid plans might not be what Jesus wants for me. It's my plan not His that gets dashed. I know that if I listen to his voice I will find that the alternate plan, his original plan, is the best winging it plan ever! So I am going to put a big ol pot of Chili on the stove and see what transpires and if it is nothing other than sitting with my family over warm chili and crocheting up a storm to finish Christmas gifts it will be a good plan! What's your plan for this wintery stay inside day?

(beautiful snowy red house captured on pinterest by www.KenScottPhotography.com)

Winning!

On the 11th day of December my daughter gave to me....(my gifts to Jesus)

My Competitive Spirit…. Wanting to win at all cost, to keep up with the “Jones’s”, to never settle for second place, to outshine the rest…

Oh my goodness do I have the need to be the best… hopefully not in a rude, obnoxious way but deep down inside I cringe if something I do is criticized and isn’t the best of the best. Seriously? That is not ok. I have a problem. I’m watching these cowboys hang on for dear life on the backs of  beautiful bucking broncos or nasty ol bulls and I wonder about my motives. The only thing they have to do is make sure they “Mark up” right out of the gate (a position of their feet) …that’s it..oh and hang on for 8 seconds.. but that’s it. No fanciness or technique is expected, just hang on and do the best you can. Why do I feel the need to have it all together all the time. They aren’t even competing with each other…they are just concentrating on their own ride and figuring out how to stay on and not get hurt in the process. Everyday life is the same, everyone is riding their own beast or beauty... I am not competing with them.  So Jesus, I am giving you my Competitive spirit…I am going to concentrate on not “Missing the Mark” and just hang on, enjoy the ride and take the bulls or broncs you have placed me on for the day and hang on!

( adorable little Norwegian girl taken by  Per  Breiehagen .. www.breiehagen.com/ )

Bon Appetit' ......

On the 10th day of December my daughter gave to me.....(my gifts to Jesus)

My appetite… the want for yumminess, the need for more, a craving, a hankering, an unrelenting “want”, my eyes are bigger than my stomach syndrome. (especially today as I am in Vegas at a HUGE buffet and I need to try it all)

I have a big ol craving for sushi. Pretty much all the time. If I am trying to decide what to eat or where to go out to dine, Sushi pops into my head first. I also have an unrelenting “want” for prettiness, especially in my décor. (which can get expensive, yikes) I also want to be in tune to Jesus. I have conversations with him all the time, really I do. It’s like I have that Star trek blue tooth attachment on the side of my head talking to him all day long.. and yes it is sometimes out loud. It satisfies my cravings to be close to Him. But did you know there are appetite suppressants? Yes, Grapefruit oil is one of them and I do use it for suppressing my want for lots of food. (it works and is refreshing too) But there are Jesus appetite suppressants too… like stress and busyness and pre-occupation. So today I give you my Appetite for you, Jesus. May it be an  appetite I cannot suppress. To learn to talk to you even more, to hear what you want me to hear!  So…Bon Appetit!

(jingle bell and twine utensil idea found on http://www.siegelthurston.com/)

On the Road again.....

On the 9th day of December my daughter gave to me.... (my gifts to Jesus)

My Travel Itinerary… the highlighted AAA trip tic maps (remember those?),  passports and ID…. destination points… the food stops (of utmost importance!)

On the road today and I am eagerly anticipating a mini vacation with friends and family and a bunch of crazy cowboys. But I must make the most of the actual travel. I love road trips, my audience is captured in a small metal box on wheels for the entire time. Talk about a captive audience. All kidding aside , I have had the best conversations with my traveling companions over the years. My hunka, hunka, burnin love and I have discussed at length things like parenting, vacations, future plans for our lives in our golden years (approaching at lightning speed). It’s a time of no distractions. We always stop at historical markers and interesting vantage points, making the most of our travel experience. I must make sure tho that my travel itinerary of my days on this earth are filled with pit stops of importance, stops to love on people, to sometimes stand quietly and take in the beauty around me that was created for me and to appreciate even the smallest nuances of being a captive audience while Jesus is at the wheel. 

(little roadster pic found on pinterest & www.sara-annephotography.com/blog )

Hurry up already!!

On the 8th day of December my daughter gave to me .... (my gifts to Jesus)

My Impatience.... the hurry up already attitude....antsy....immediate gratification mindset.
We are an immediate gratification craving people, aren't we? Fast food, movies on demand, weight loss miracle pills..you name it we want it NOW!  Me too, folks, me too!  (especially in the weight loss and starting a new business dept) I find myself getting irritated at God's timing sometimes... is that a bad thing? I am human and am allowed to get irritated but how I deal with it is what I need to be concerned about. And, yes I have shaken my fist at the sky...probably not the best reaction but it was honest! (I think God smiled at that.. I do tend to entertain Him with my conversations with him I think!)  I have asked/begged/pleaded with God for certain things to happen and He sometimes says YES! Hooray! Yeeehaw!  I get so excited because He made it clear it was a yes... But.....(there's that big ol "B"word..) the timing is a whole different matter. So here I sit thinking it all needs to move faster when it hits me upside the head....God's 2x4... He said "yes" why am I worried about the timing...He said Yes...so if I am smack dab in the center of His will for a particular situation why, oh, why am I upset about the timing? He said Yes!  So now I am sitting here thinking of what I need to do next in certain "yes" situations that will grow me thru them. God gave me a brain and blessed me with talents and gifts so therefore I need to exercise them (along with my aging body) to get the best results...to make the most of my time in the waiting room! So I give Jesus my impatience all the while praying for patience!!

impatient little santa captured by www.melaniepainter.com

Past ,Present & Future

On the 7th day of December my daughter gave to me..... (my gifts to Jesus)

My Past..... the olden days, things done that might have molded me, memories, unforgettable events.
The past... my past to be exact, was an interesting one. A good one. It molded me into who I am today, especially if I learned from any of my shenanigans growing up.  But it has also etched into me certain things that make me react in a different way than most. I was a Missionary kid and grew up in Japan... that's different, right? Well, with it comes a world view different from the normal Joe..the american Joe. To add to that, my Daddy went to live with Jesus when I was only 8 and living in Japan. My mom felt that God wanted her to stay and finish his work there so for 8 more years we lived, loved and laughed in Tokyo. That added a different perspective to life even more. I could've turned out really weird ...(ok, never mind....) So, in my weirdness, I have discovered that even thru tragedy and loneliness and even a sense of abandonment that might be hard to go thru at the time, Jesus was using all of those events and circumstances to grow me, mold me , shape me.  So today in the present I accept all of the things life hands me with the assurance that I will turn out alright if I just lean back and let Jesus mold me thru the hard times. That makes the future so bright that I might need some shades..after all my future has some gold paved roads in it !  I hope you can embrace the past, be present in the present, and hope for the future... because we are gonna be awesome after all of this character shaping molding!

(cute little pinterest cowboys of the past)

Dream a little Dream of me...

On the 6th of December my daughter gave to me:

My dreams… the lofty ideas you tuck in your heart, outlandish ideas you hope will be possible to achieve, the thing that happens when you sleep. 

I’m a huge dreamer. Yup, from future log homes, to outlandish vacations, to comfortable retirement options, to expanding my jobs/passions of Oils and weddings that I get paid to do and even grandbaby outings (when they eventually arrive… not rushing anything...they will be here in God’s timing but just sayin…) But what are my dreams really?  Selfish ones at best. Where are my dreams for eternity and for love and joy and world peace? I need to  expand my dreams, not throw them out with the bathwater, but enhance them with Jesus goggles. To infuse them with God’s will and timing because then they will be reality thoughts or goals and not lofty dreams!!  Sleep tight my friends and infuse your goals and dreams with Jesus!

(dreaming puppies from barkpost.com)